- Title: BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA/YUGOSLAVIA: SERB REFUGEES FLEE CROATIAN ADVANCE ON KNIN
- Date: 6th August 1995
- Summary: BANJA LUKA AND PALE, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA/ BELGRADE, YUGOSLAVIA (AUGUST 6, 1995) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) NEAR BANJA LUKA, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV/LV REFUGEES FROM KRAJINA CAMPED OUT IN FIELD (2 SHOTS) 0.07 2. SV WOMAN WITH HER HEAD IN HANDS 0.11 3. SV GROUP OF WOMEN FILLING CONTAINERS WITH WATER FROM TAP 0.1
- Embargoed: 21st August 1995 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: NEAR BANJA LUKA AND PALE, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA/BELGRADE, YUGOSLAVIA
- City:
- Country: Yugoslavia
- Reuters ID: LVA9ZIG476I0XCCP3WQSY0F806LV
- Story Text: A looming humanitarian crisis in the Balkans drew nearer on Sunday (August 6) as a vast exodus of people fleeing a Croat army advance into the rebel Serb Krajina blocked roads across northern Bosnia.
The refugees, mainly women with children and elderly people came from the towns of Gracac, Petrinja, Knin, Benkovac and Korenica, running for their lives ahead of the Croatian army, which started its attack on Krajina on Friday morning.
Croatian army troops attacked the Serb-held Krajina region in southern Croatia and gained control not only of Knin and Petrinja but also Drnis, Benkovac, Vrlika, Kijevo, and entered Gracac, Sveti Rok, Plaski and Hrvatska Dubica. Most of the major towns were captured in the first 36 hours of the Croat assault.
Refugees from the fallen Serb held areas were said to be approaching Bosnia in a column stretching for 20 km (12 miles).
Serb authorities said they expected as many as 60,000 Croatian Serbs to arrive in Serb-held territory in northern Bosnia-Herzegovina.
At a news conference in Zagreb on Sunday United Nations (U.N.) special envoy Yasushi Akashi said the U.N. were now facing an humanitarian crisis because of the sheer number of displaced Bosnian Serbs moving towards Bosnia and Bihac.
The special envoy said the United Nations hoped to have a document signed with the Croatian government to determine the future role of the U.N. forces in the area later on Sunday.
In the Bosnian Serb camp, Radovan Karadzic's own survival was in doubt after three years as "president" of the Bosnian Serb republic when the Bosnian Serb Army rebelled against the sacking of its charismatic commander General Ratko Mladic.
Before a parliament meeting in Pale near Sarajevo, Karadzic said Mladic was reacting emotionally, but had to obey his orders.
Eighteen senior generals urged the self-styled Bosnian Serb parliament to reject Karadzic's bid to take personal command of the armed forces after battlefield defeats by the Croatian army in southwest Bosnia last week.
As deputies gathered the Bosnian Serb generals signed a statement in the north Bosnian town of Banja Luka saying they would obey only Mladic.
Despite the dispute, between Mladic and Karadzic, the Krajina Serb collapse could strengthen the Bosnian Serb army, alleviating its chronic manpower shortage and swinging the war in Bosnia in Serb favour.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None